
Mystery Quilt Clue Five
I call this the Key Block, because it is the Key to the whole quilt. Join us at http://quiltbug.com/Free/crossed.htm!

Mystery Quilt Clue Four
Join us at http://quiltbug.com/Free/crossed.htm

Mystery Block Clue Three
Join us at http://quiltbug.com/Free/crossed.htm

First Mystery Block
Linda Poole has a great article on her blog about traditional New Years Day celebrations. We started one ourselves in 2000 – the New Years Day mystery!
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Each year, I like to present a mystery that teaches something new – a new technique or ruler. This year I tackled Paper Piecing. It’s my most challenging mystery yet – join us at http://quiltbug.com/Free/crossed.htm!
Mary Nelson Zadrozney put together an excellent article on this subject. There are many ways to help others with your talents and so often these things don’t take much time. Her article lists the organizations that can use a variety of handmade items to offer comfort to babies, children, men, women, and animals in need, along with links to their websites. Don’t have time but still want to help out? Many of these organizations can use donations of supplies. Don’t forget your local animal shelters too; many of them have a continual need for soft blankets for the animals, cage covers, etc. You can read her article here: http://www.justimaginedesigns.com/helpothersarticle.html
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For those who like the challenge concept, there is also http://www.29gifts.org/ – creating positive change in the world by giving away your gifts of time, money, handmade items, smiles, kind words, etc.

First Clue
Here are directions to the first clue: http://quiltbug.com/Free/crossed.htm. Finish all these blocks and the rest will be easy!

The Road Less Traveled
STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
By Robert Frost
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Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
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My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
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He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
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The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Inklingo is giving away fabric!

Fabric Prize "Gothic Arch"
Check it out at http://www.lindafranz.com/blog/
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And…
The Prairie Grove Peddler is giving away Cross Stitch Charts.

Finished Christmas Cross-Stitch Ornaments
For more information, visit http://www.prairiegrovepeddler.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG3Fvi1pJh4
And so it was in front of this hotel
Our angel did finally arrive
And standing at one corner was a young man
Who caught the angel’s eye
He had a small group of children
Gathered round him there
Who all were quietly listening
Which for children is quite rare
He was telling them christmas tales
And each one brought more children near
Where they nestled round him on those steps
So each word they could clearly hear
He then told them a christmas story
About how all men are brothers
And when that story had ended
The children clamored for another
“where does christmas go
When its day is through?
Where does christmas go,” they asked,
“and what does christmas do?”
Now children have such simple requests
Their wishes are so small
That the young man saw no reason why
He could not grant them all
They liked his stories so much
They begged him not to let it end
So he told them about the wizards of winter
Whose winter ball they must attend
How these wizards decorated their whole world
With icicles, frost and snow
And how with the dreams of this night beneath it
It all would magically start to glow
And the snow seemed to obey the young man’s every gesture
In the cold december’s air
And as for the wizards’ imperial ball
Well, they were already there




